Article that appeared in The Figaro of may 13, 1995

Certain encounters can mark the journalists. Interview Luke Perry is part of this category. As a young freelancer in the Figaro to the topic tv, my editor-in-chief had asked me to go meet the star of the “Beverly Hills” passage in Paris to inaugurate the new restaurant Planet Hollywood. From the outset, in this great hotel, the white doors were decorated with mouldings worked, I discovered a young man very accessible. Rather joyful and smiling. To say it all, a young man without frills. The conversation is committed to be fairly fluid. And then when I asked him how he had been engaged for the role, I suddenly saw Luke Perry out of a leap and say to myself: “Wait, I’ll show you!” He left the room. I then found myself alone in his hotel room. As abruptly as he had vanished, Luke Perry has opened noisily the two shutters of the door that I was facing kicks! “Hello! I come for the cast of Beverly Hills…” I was stunned… and amazed by the charisma of the young man. Nearly 25 years later, and since his death at the age of 52 years old (my age), the memory of my encounter appalling with Luke Perry remains. Between the infectious energy of a young actor a little hothead, and this ability to enjoy the moment, knowing very well that the status of “american star “rising” could be snuffed out from one moment to the other. O. D.

Luke Perry: “I owe it all to Dylan!”

visiting Paris, the young actor defends the series “Beverly Hills” of which TF1 today released the last episode.

It measures one metre seventy, he was twenty-eight years and a false air of James Dean. Luke Perry knows that with his character of Dylan, one of the heroes of “Beverly Hills”, rebellious, taciturn to ancient times, it was a dream for the teenage girls in the world. Precisely, get out your handkerchiefs, TF 1 today released the final episode of the fetish series of 15-25 year-olds who meet 4 to 5 million viewers every Saturday. Before the turn, the next of which will begin in September, he came to inaugurate on the Champs-Elysées Planet Hollywood restaurant… waiting to finally make the film.

” READ ALSO – Luke Perry, star of Beverly Hills, has died at the age of 52 years

“Personally, I’ve always found that “Beverly Hills” was a fiction too clear, too nice.”

Luke Perry

LE FIGARO. -How would you define your character within the band of students?

Luke PERRY. -If all of the protagonists of the series were denoted by color, as on the palette of a painter, I would certainly be the darkest of them. Personally, I’ve always found that “Beverly Hills” was a fiction too clear, too nice. Dylan the dark and it is so much better. Indeed, all the painters will tell you, it is the black that lasts the longest on a pallet.

” READ ALSO – Death of Luke Perry: from Besson to Tarantino, back on his career, missed the movies

The american press you often compared to James Dean. The reference does not annoys you?

You know, people compare me to him since the age of twelve years, so now I’m shielded. Anyway, Dylan looks like him also with his rebellious side.

do You feel a prisoner of this character?

I will not go so far. Let’s say that some of the links that tie me to him. This makes five years that I slipped into his skin. In fact, I owe it all to Dylan!

How have you been engaged in the filming?

This is simple. I arrived in front of the office cast and I have broken down the door a big kick. In front of me, there was a large sofa on which were seated twenty directors, producers and other CEOS. I said: “Here it is! This is me. I want the role of Dylan. Let me read the script.” I was coming home from work. I was shirtless, dirty, dusty. At the time, I was working in the street. I was in a bad mood and I improvised off the cuff. No one lifted a finger except Aaron Spelling, the producer, who immediately came towards me to shake hands with me.

” READ ALSO – Death of Luke Perry: the women who have shared the life of the idol of the “nineties”

The series depicts a golden youth, while next blooms the misery in the darkest of ghettos black. Why ignore this paradox?

This is a deliberate choice. A lot of soap operas realistic make this painful contrast, the main spring of their intrigues. “Beverly Hills” on the contrary, is a product designed for dreaming.

“Some of our filmmakers are poor and do not have any picture of France, that the remembrance stereotypical of An American in Paris.”

Luke Perry

In one episode, you’re dealing with Paris and the French with a certain contempt. Why?

Yes, I know. In these two episodes, all the French ronchonnent, smoke, and look like Maurice Chevalier. It was so ridiculous that I pointed out to the writers because I know a little about France. But what do you want, some of our directors are poor and do not have any picture of this country, that the remembrance stereotypical d’ An American in Paris . We Americans are sometimes too permeated our culture. We forget always that no building in we never reached the age of 800 years!

What are your other projects?

I was woken up at seven o’clock this morning by a producer who wanted me to do a film with John Mc Naughton, the director of Henry, portrait of a serial killer . The story revolves around a cop who wants to lead a normal life, when the young woman whom he fell in love with the shoot to kill people and to commit hold-ups. The scenario is completely amoral. You see, it is far from “Beverly Hills”!